The Tool
by Everlane
Summary: If there was anything she knew she ultimately failed at, it was that she felt Jiao would live ignorantly like most of them did.


**The Tool**

* * *

If there was anything she knew she ultimately failed at, it was that she felt Jiao would live ignorantly like most of them did. She held the tiny hand in her own, momentarily casting a soft glance over the child's dark hair and strange sunny aura. Whenever Jiao left the prison, her aura would darken and have streaks of black inside for the first couple days before it mellowed into a pallid grayish gold.

Still, Jiao always behaved like any other children, but Ty-Lee knew just by the look of her aura that the more she had to leave her mother at Crescent Island, the more conflicted her aura appeared. In her other hand, Jiao held a bouquet of fire lilies cradled on her side. Her golden eyes were warmer that her aunt had seen them.

"Are you excited about seeing mommy today, Ji-ji?" Tylee asked, squeezing the child's hand for comfort.

"Yeah. "

Jiao's voice was a more quiet and airy version of Azula's, and the girl took after her mother to the teeth in appearance too. By the time she was two, Zuko mentioned this when he had the girl sleeping in his arms. Most times when playing with her, Ty-Lee was always dragged back to her days with Azula in the gardens of the Royal Palace. It always took Jiao's soft spoken voice for her to snap back into reality and remember that she was this child's mother_ outside_ and the past had to be buried. "You know your mommy misses you a lot, don't you?"

The letters from nurses reporting threats and dangerous tantrums from the former princess flash across her mind, but Ty-Lee kept a bright smile on her face, and tried not to acknowledge the way Jiao's aura brightened the more. It always hurt her to know that Jiao just wanted something that was impossible to get. She even had to fight for the girl to keep coming to this place.

"I know. I made her a letter."

"Oh yeah?" she asked.

Jiao nodded, but said nothing else. As always, since the girl was three years old, Xifeng was the first to meet them once they reached the commons area where they were checked inside. The elderly woman had always took a liking to Jiao, and would give the girl sweets to take home just to comfort her whenever she had to leave.

But Jiao was now eight, and a top student at the Fire Royal Academy for Girls. She was past having candy to compensate for missing her mother. Xifeng greeted the girl, holding her hand while she asked about her studies.

They were soon given the new number for the room the former princess was situated inside. As Xifeng made small talk with her about the welfare of Azula, Ty-Lee could tell that she was holding more back because of Jiao, who sat quietly near the large vase in the corner of the area. The bouquet of flowers was held tightly in her arm, and Ty-Lee noted the folded paper tucked inside the ribbon holding them.

She let her mind wander, remembering the delirious expression on Azula's face when she announced that the guard who fondled her left a nice present. No one had been sure if the former princess had been raped or if a she just happened to spend one night with one of the guards. Zuko had been livid, and even several interrogations weren't enough to make her crack. For the first few months, Azula taunted her brother whenever he came to visit her specifically for the purpose of finding the father of Jiao, who was safely in her mother's womb.

The guard responsible wasn't a follower as they feared. He was an old drunkard, who admitted that when he snuck into Azula's lair, he was too under the influence to realize that the girl who had fought in her restraints was the former princess herself.

Ty-Lee didn't know what had happened to the man, but ever since the time Jiao was conceived, Azula tried several times to commit suicide. Once, Zuko had pulled Azula from jumping to her death one morning he came to just visit her. She was laughing maniacally when her torn brother carried her back inside.

On the very early morning Jiao was born, Ty-Lee had been there, which was why she was the first asked by Zuko to care for Jiao. The birth was an agonizing forty two hours, but through that entire time, Azula kept silent and willingly did whatever the healers commanded. Most expected for her to take this chance to kill the child, but Azula merely gazed at the whimpering infant. When Jiao's golden eyes peered open, the occupants in the birthing room were stunned when she called the baby by her name. _Jiao._

Ty-Lee approached the girl, who frowned at the two nurses who entered the commons in order to accompany them. "You ready to go?"

Jiao nodded curtly. "Yeah."

She held the girl's free hand as they strode down the dark corridors with the two nurses who looked new. Ty-Lee made small talk with them just to draw their attention away from Jiao, who noticed. The Fire Nation knew the girl all too well, especially when she resembled her mother so much. Ty-Lee expected for days where the girl would cry to her about those who bully her. But she learned too quickly that Jiao was quiet, and kept to herself. Only her aura did the talking, but even now, it started to flicker. It was hard pinpointing what was troubling her.

By the time they reached the room, the nurses were the first who made their way in. Ty-Lee could hear Azula's voice, clear and sharp over the quiet tones of the nurses. "Yes?"

"Your daughter is here to see you."

Jiao smiled, tiptoeing and waving gently outside the room. The first nurse moved enough to reveal Azula's gaunt face, and quiet golden orbs that drifted immediately to Jiao. A smile, which looked more proud than genuine lit up the woman's face. Ty-Lee was surprised by the calm aura surrounding the former princess, whose arms were spread for Jiao. It's been a long time since it had been that calm, which was around the time Azula was a princess before her fall. But it prickled around the edges. She was still unpredictable., Ty-Lee reminded herself even though she hated doing it. Hated bringing Jiao because she knew deep in her heart that Azula's love wasn't pure. Jiao was only the embodiment of her dreams and wishes.

Jiao rushed into the room, but stopped in time to present the fire lilies and place them in the vase near the window. Azula watched in quiet amusement. Jiao was stiff and did everything formally, before she almost tackled her mother on the bed. The nurses were stationed nearby, and Ty-Lee walked inside, finding a seat near the window sill. Since the visits began, or since she even visited Azula before Jiao was born, the former princess never acknowledged she was in the room. When she even glanced in her direction, it was just to ask her to close the windows or doors, like she would ask a common servant. Yet Ty-Lee did everything willingly, and even when she gave up hope of Azula ever talking to her, she still did these things to the point where Jiao thought that she and Azula were never friends.

Jiao inched closer to her mother, who ran a hand through her hair and kept her other arm around her. She drilled her with questions. "How are your studies?"

"Great. I'm at the top five, being at number one."

"That's superb." Azula said calmly. "How is your fire bending?"

More questions, just to figure out Jiao.

_And then..._

"How are you?"

Even though Jiao quickly told her she was doing well, Azula responded with a warm grin. "You're always like your grandfather. Tell me how you're feeling, my little one."

Jiao's shoulders slumped. "I miss you a lot…"

"I miss_ you_. Is Ty-Lee taking good care of you?"

Ty-Lee stared up at the woman, who kept her eyes on Jiao. This was the first time she spoke anything about her taking care of her daughter. "Yeah. She takes real good care of me."

"Good. Ty-Lee always does, right?"

Jiao nodded.

Ty-Lee watched as Azula continued to stroke her daughter's hair, listening to the child chatter. She continued until Jiao was situated near the wall on the bed, cocooned by Azula while they continued to whisper to each other.

Hours passed, before it was finally time for Jiao to leave.

This was the hardest, and each time it came to that point, she found it painful to pull Jiao away, who was at her happiest whenever she came here. Where the girl would willingly leave most times, Ty-Lee was alarmed when she refused. "I'm sorry but we have to leave now. Time is up."

"No…"

It only took moments before she began to cry, as if she held all her tears in for the four years she visited. And when Jiao cried, it made Ty-Lee want to cry just watching her swollen and reddened face. When the nurses were about to forcefully take the girl out, Azula's aura immediately faltered. This was the reason why she was terrified of her old friend. She grabbed Jiao's wrist and pulled her into a tight hug.

"It's alright. I'll be here." Ty-Lee told the nurses, who hesitated before they walked away.

Jiao's sobs were loud and heart wrenching. Snot was running down, but then Azula's aura went back to normal, as if nothing ever happened. She continued smiling sadly at her daughter who tried to hold down her tears, only to fight for her breath. She merely wiped her running tears with her thumbs. Without watching Ty-Lee, Azula said, "I'd like for you to leave us for a few moments."

"But it's not allowed."

And for the first time in years, Azula looked at her as if she was her. This time, her gaze is narrowed. "Leave us alone, unless you have another way."

Ty-Lee waited, gazing at Jiao's quivering form, then at Azula, who continued watching her. No one was in the corridor, so she stepped back, and closed the door behind her. The next few moments were the most agonizing, but she heard everything. Jiao's crying died down, and Azula's soft voice grew louder.

"Crying will not do anything. You have to be strong for me."

"I-I can't…"

Azula continued to calm her, soothing her with words of how she needed to be strong and focus on the time they will meet again. Nothing suspicious was said, but Ty-Lee didn't like the way Azula sounded. Jiao was out in no time, never looking back when Ty-Lee lead her out, tossing a wary glance in Azula's direction. Azula only tilted her head. Her aura was beaming, with dark streaks scratched all over.

It didn't matter if she eventually agreed for Zuko to stop Jiao from seeing Azula again, because Jiao would always find a way to go back to her mother. Whether they liked it or not.


End file.
